Abstract
Purpose
This article summarizes relevant findings related to low back and neck pain from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) reports for the purpose of informing the Global Spine Care Initiative.
Methods
We reviewed and summarized back and neck pain burden data from two studies that were published in Lancet in 2016, namely: “Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015” and “Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015.”
Results
In 2015, low back and neck pain were ranked the fourth leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally just after ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lower respiratory infection {low back and neck pain DALYs [thousands]: 94 941.5 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 67 745.5–128 118.6]}. In 2015, over half a billion people worldwide had low back pain and more than a third of a billion had neck pain of more than 3 months duration. Low back and neck pain are the leading causes of years lived with disability in most countries and age groups.
Conclusion
Low back and neck pain prevalence and disability have increased markedly over the past 25 years and will likely increase further with population aging. Spinal disorders should be prioritized for research funding given the huge and growing global burden.
Graphical abstract
These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Crimmins EM, Beltran-Sanchez H (2011) Mortality and morbidity trends: is there compression of morbidity? J Gerontol Ser B, Psychol Sci Soc Sci 66:75–86. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbq088
Hoy D, March L, Woolf A, Blyth F, Brooks P, Smith E et al (2014) The global burden of neck pain: estimates from the global burden of disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis 73:1309–1315. https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204431
Vos T, Allen C, Arora M, Barber RM, Bhutta ZA, Brown A et al (2016) Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet (London, England) 388:1545–1602. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31678-6
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation About GBD (2017) http://www.healthdata.org/gbd/about. Accessed 25 Mar 2017
Forouzanfar MH, Alexander L, Anderson HR, Bachman VF, Biryukov S, Brauer M et al (2015) Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet (London, England) 386:2287–2323. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00128-2
Wang H, Naghavi M, Allen C, Barber RM, Bhutta ZA, Carter A et al (2016) Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet (London, England) 388:1459–1544. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31012-1
Kassebaum NJ, Arora M, Barber RM, Bhutta ZA, Brown J, Carter A et al (2016) Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet (London, England) 388:1603–1658. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31460-x
World Health Organization (2017) Health statistics and information systems: Estimates for 2000–2015. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/estimates/en/index2.html. Accessed 25 Mar 2017
Hoy D, March L, Brooks P, Woolf A, Blyth F, Vos T, Buchbinder R (2010) Measuring the global burden of low back pain. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 24:155–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.berh.2009.11.002
Buchbinder R, Blyth FM, March LM, Brooks P, Woolf AD, Hoy DG (2013) Placing the global burden of low back pain in context. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 27:575–589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.berh.2013.10.007
Salomon JA, Vos T, Hogan DR, Gagnon M, Naghavi M, Mokdad A et al (2012) Common values in assessing health outcomes from disease and injury: disability weights measurement study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet (London, England) 380:2129–2143. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61680-8
Salomon JA, Haagsma JA, Davis A, de Noordhout CM, Polinder S, Havelaar AH, Cassini A, Devleesschauwer B, Kretzschmar M, Speybroeck N, Murray CJL, Vos T (2015) Disability weights for the Global Burden of Disease 2013 study. Lancet Global Health 3:e712–e723. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(15)00069-8
Hoy D, March L, Brooks P, Blyth F, Woolf A, Bain C et al (2014) The global burden of low back pain: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis 73:968–974. https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204428
Guzman J, Hurwitz EL, Carroll LJ, Haldeman S, Côté P, Carragee EJ et al (2008) A new conceptual model of neck pain: linking onset, course, and care: the Bone and Joint Decade 2000–2010 task force on neck pain and its associated disorders. Spine 33:S14–S23. https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181643efb
Haldeman S, Nordin M, Outerbridge G, Hurwitz EL, Hondras M, Brady O et al (2015) Creating a sustainable model of spine care in underserved communities: the World Spine Care (WSC) charity. Spine J 15:2303–2311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2015.06.046
Brady O, Nordin M, Hondras M, Outerbridge G, Kopansky-Giles D, Côté P et al (2016) Global forum: spine research and training in underserved, low and middle-income, culturally unique communities: the World Spine Care Charity Research Program’s Challenges and Facilitators. J Bone Jt Surg Am 98:e110. https://doi.org/10.2106/jbjs.16.00723
Hurwitz EL, Randhawa K, Paola T, Hainan Y, Verville L, Hartvigsen J et al (2017) The Global Spine Care Initiative: a systematic review of individual and community‑based burden of spinal disorders in rural populations in low‑ and middle‑income communities. Eur Spine J. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-017-5393-z
Hoy D, Bain C, Williams G, March L, Brooks P, Blyth F et al (2012) A systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain. Arthritis Rheum 64:2028–2037. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.34347
Van Den Kerkhof EG, Hopman WM, Towheed TE, Anastassiades TP, Goldstein DH (2003) The impact of sampling and measurement on the prevalence of self-reported pain in Canada. Pain Res Manage 8:157–163
Picavet HS, Hazes JM (2003) Prevalence of self reported musculoskeletal diseases is high. Ann Rheum Dis 62:644–650
Gill TK, Tucker GR, Avery JC, Shanahan EM, Menz HB, Taylor AW et al (2016) The use of self-report questions to examine the prevalence of musculoskeletal problems: a test-retest study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 17:100. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-0946-6
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Funding
The Global Spine Care Initiative and this study were funded by grants from the Skoll Foundation and NCMIC Foundation. World Spine Care provided financial management for this project. The funders had no role in study design, analysis, or preparation of this paper.
Conflicts of interest
EH declares he is a consultant for: RAND Corporation; EBSCO Information Services; Southern California University of Health Sciences; Western University of Health Sciences. Data and Safety Monitoring Committee Chair, Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research. Research Committee Co-chair, World Spine Care. KR declares funding to UOIT from Skoll Foundation, NCMIC Foundation through World Spine Care. HY declares funding to UOIT from Skoll Foundation, NCMIC Foundation through World Spine Care. PC is funded by a Canada Research Chair in Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and declares funding to UOIT from Skoll Foundation, NCMIC Foundation through World Spine Care. Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canada. Research Chair Ontario Ministry of Finance. Financial Services Commission of Ontario. Ontario Trillium Foundation, ELIB Mitac. Fond de Recherche and Sante du Quebec. SH declares funding to UOIT from Skoll Foundation, NCMIC Foundation through World Spine Care. Clinical Policy Advisory Board and stockholder, Palladian Health. Advisory Board, SpineHealth.com. Book Royalties, McGraw Hill. Travel expense reimbursement—CMCC Board.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hurwitz, E.L., Randhawa, K., Yu, H. et al. The Global Spine Care Initiative: a summary of the global burden of low back and neck pain studies. Eur Spine J 27 (Suppl 6), 796–801 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-017-5432-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-017-5432-9